Tuesday, May 11, 2004

In the station of the metro

In a Station of the MetroThe apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

This is an amazing poem. Reading it reminds me of so many metro rides. Rivers of people pouring from train to platform, down steps and into the waiting orange seats. What's so evocative is the simplicity. Pound merely states the obvious... The concrete station, like a giant tomb, is a drab, dark setting contrasts vividly to the colorful visages of the people inside. Stunningly beautiful in its utter simplicity.

Like good CSS code. Or a hummable song. Or the graceful curve of the "wa" (harmony) in Japanese calligraphy.

I should aspire to such graceful simplicity. Instead, I'm stuck with a jumbled mind and cluttered thought! Such clarity would be as welcome as ice tea on a summer day!